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Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

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Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

#1

Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>To hone carving tools, are you sticking with the Norton oil stones you demo on the DVD or moving to synthetics? I feel the Shaptons are too soft for small carving chisels and dish too quickly. Suspect, without any personal knowledge, the Norton waterstones may suffer similarly, though perhaps not to the same degree. Do you still prefer medium India, Hard Arkansas, strop?

Art Peters hones with a piece of Sicilian lava rock, equivalent to Hard Arkansas; followed by Ceramic stone, equivalent to about 8000-grit; then strop. No idea where to find a Sicilian lava rock, and don't know whether the ceramics will hold up. Any thoughts there?

Best, Ted

Re: Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

#2

Re: Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

Joel

>Chris Pye highly recommends Arkansas stones for all carving tool sharpening. The reason is that they don't groove and the small carving slips we stock are long but only 1/8" thick max and that's what you need to get into small tools - but the slips being oilstones are also strong and long wearing. So a medium india, followed by a hard translucent or black, followed by a slip on the inside to chase the burr. with burr gone - strop on plain piece of leather.

To maintain a sharp edge strop on a compound TREATED strop, then if you want on a plain piece of leather.

joel

Re: Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

#3

what one professional does..

Bill Tindal, E.TN

>I have a friend that is a professional carver. Once he gets a carving tool shaped all he ever does is rub it on leather with honing compound of some sort .

Re: Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

#4

Re: Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

Warren in Lancaster, PA

>I have been carving white oak full time for the last eight weeks. In that time, I have used only washita and arkansas stones to maintain the tools.

I'm not sure a less experienced carver could get away with that. A beginner is much rougher on the tools and may need to start with a coarser stone each time. The thought of subjecting a waterstone to the honing of a 3/8 inch gouge makes me slightly ill, but I have not used shapton stones and have limited experience with ceramic stones.

Re: Hey, Joel-- Carving Tool sharpening

#5

Thanks, folks...

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>stones and strop are on the way from Joel.

Best, Ted

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